Praxis: the dialectic in which action and reflection feed
on each other.

PauloFreire

In community you must do the work of learning who other
people are and how they see things differently and honoring that
so you in turn will have your views honored.

Laird Sandhill

Community evokes in the individual the feeling that "here
is where I belong, these are my people, I care for them, they care
for me, I am part of them. I know what they expect from me and I
from them, they share my concerns. I know this place, I am on
familiar ground, I am at home". (Daniel Yankelovitch, New
Rules.)

Community exits when people who are interdependent
struggle with the traditions that bind them and the interests that
separate them in order to realize a future that is an improvement
upon the present. (Carl Moore)

The more a community's culture supports individual
destiny and creativity the more likely it is to be able to hold a
healthy tension between its collective mission and personal
freedom and therefore the more likely it is to actually enable the
individual's work for social change.

Paige Cousineau

INTRODUCTION:

There is a good deal of social commentary being generated these
days about the state of community. Pundits from both the left and the
right (and everywhere in between) lament the erosion of community in
the contemporary USA and elsewhere. Conservatives often speak of the
erosion of community values and community standards. This lament
often marks the frustration of the cultural majority over (perceived
and real) concessions and compromises that have been made to
non-dominant (or subaltern) interests. For these conservative
thinkers as well as for many moderate "new communitarians" successful
community is threatened by heterogeneity - by many voices expressing
diverse interests and needs. These conservative voices often
nostalgically long for the "good old days" when things were less
conflictual and when people were united around community institutions
such as church and school and civic holidays. Progressive observers
on the other hand see community as purposeful association based on
connection, commitment and mutual responsibility. That is, meaningful
community is seen as collection of people who recognize their common
cause and who contribute in some way to the common well being.
Progressive commentators have lamented that the emergence of a
culture of selfishness during the era of Reagan/Thatcher, now
hegemonic in the 90's, has undermined the ability of people to see
their common interests and their willingness to work together.

This course endeavors to follow up on theoretical issues raised in
the course Anthropology 397b - Community (which was offered in the
Fall of 1996) by exploring them on the ground in a real, complex
community. Because there is such an aggressive celebration of greed
and competition about, combined with a cynicism that ridicules
idealism, altruism, and movements for social justice (most notably
evident in the gloating triumphalism over the collapse of socialism
around the world) we began that course with a most basic question:

Is it possible for people to live
together?

The emergence in the West of a hegemonic discourse centered on
individualism and a culture of selfishness would suggest that the
answer is no, that the ideas of tolerance, cooperation, mutual
understanding, mutual assistance and social justice are anachronistic
idealisms that must inevitably give way, indeed have already given
way, to the forces of individualism, materialism and competition. The
eruption of myriad ethnic conflicts around the world in concert with
the energetic pursuit of capitalism in the formerly socialist world
would seem to support the aforementioned conclusion. We undertook an
investigation of the fate of different kinds of communities around
the globe in order to ascertain what is required to build meaningful
and effective communities to meet the challenges that current global
events are throwing at us.

Since membership in any community necessitates mediation of the
needs and desires of individuals with those of a larger group the
issue of cooperation was central to our inquiry. This raises a number
of theoretical and practical questions. For example: when and why do
we cooperate with others? Why do we chose to pool our efforts and
under what circumstances do we prefer to go it alone? If I help a
friend write a paper, am I hurting myself by taking potential time
away from endeavors that would have enhanced my own well being? Does
the advancement of the well being of others, necessarily diminish
mine? Why is the University reluctant to accept co-written
dissertations, co-written papers, or collectively graded projects?
When does it pay to cheat? Do I (as a member of a western capitalist
society) calculate the costs and benefits of cooperation? Do members
of other societies also calculate costs and benefits and if so, do
they do it in the same way? If I can count on others to assist me,
does this diminish my own motivation to work hard? Are motivations
the same (or equally effective) in cooperative and individualistic
environments? Does the compromise necessary to cooperate with others
stifle my individuality? If I wish to engage in collective endeavors
but I also wish to preserve my freedom of action and creativity as an
individual, how can I do this?

Back to Amherst:

Many of the above issues arise either explicitly or implicitly
within Amherst as its residents struggle with issues like funding for
schools, ethnic diversity, declining standards of civility , conflict
over resources among the University, the colleges and the town, and
the democratic character of town government (to name just of few
sites of contestation). Amherst has often defined itself as a special
place which if not utopian is at least somewhat isolated from the
vicissitudes that affect other communities. Amherst is sometimes
referred to (both affectionately and disparagingly depending on the
politics of the speaker) as the center of the Happy Valley, the
capital of "PC", or as not being part of the "real world". Many
long-time Amherst residents boast of Amherst being a solid community
in which people care about each other and where racial, cultural and
class harmony predominate. This is certainly part of the ideology of
Amherst. However, if we understand ideology to be those ideas that
mask social contradictions, then understanding the nature of
community in Amherst necessitates breaking down the ideology of
Amherst. So, we want to ask, what is it that makes Amherst a
community? Are the trends of intolerance and incivility that are
apparent throughout the USA, evident in Amherst as well? What forces
bind this community together and what forces tear it apart? How can
we use this information to confront some of the real problems that
face Amherst and other communities?

This seminar will explore these questions through the construction
and execution of ethnographic research projects in the town of
Amherst. Students will learn about basic anthropological field
methods and then apply them in conducting weekly data collection
exercises. In the first fe weeks we will attempt to develop a basic
profile of the town and its citizens. Based on this information
students will design and carry out a major research project which
will be presented to the seminar and to the anthropology department
at the end of the term.

COURSE FORMAT: There are two components to this course - the
seminar component which covers preparation for the field and the
writing-up of research and the service component which involves doing
meaningful work within the Amherst community. The seminar operates
for the firs 7 weeks plus the final week. Each meeting during that
component will focus on a set of readings and/or a data collection
assignment. Members of the seminar are expected to vigorously prepare
for and attend each class meeting and to actively participate in
discussions. Seminars are team efforts and the quality of the course
depends on the thoughtful participation of EVERY member. If you come
to class unprepared, you shortchange not just yourself but every
other member of the seminar. You will be undertaking modest, but
hopefully significant research projects that have the potential to
impact on the lives of the citizens in Amherst as well as the future
of community based research in Amherst. Hence you will be held to the
same professional and ethical standards as practicing
anthropologists. In service learning courses a substantial portion
of your education comes from doing service to the community. While
service comes in different shapes, sizes and flavors you can expect
to spend a minimum of 3-5 hours/week engaged in service at your field
site. Your will undertake your service/research in teams of 3-5 and
you will be responsible for preparing a substantial written report on
your efforts. You will also prepare an oral report to be presented to
the Anthropology department and/or representatives from the town of
Amherst at the end of the term.

GRADES:

Grades will be based according to the following breakdown.

25% attendance and participation, homework and field journal,

25% oral presentation of class project

50% final project (Note: every member of project team will
receive the same grade regardless of individual contributions.)

REQUIRED TEXTS:

1) Madeline Blaise In these girls hope is a muscle. 1995.
Available at Food For Thought Books, Amherst.

2) The Amherst Bulletin : available at Hastings (on the common),
The Amherst Bulletin Office (next to Cutty's on University Drive) and
at many other outlets downtown. The Bulletin usually appears on
newsstands late Thursday and is free.

3) short readings to be handed out during the term including:

Arthur Keene, The retreat from Community and the Language of
Disengagement. Paper presented at the 1995 Conference of the
International Communal Studies Association.

Selections from James Spradley, The ethnographic interview.
Holt. 1979

WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

1) Data collection exercise (First 5 weeks only) usually handed
out on Thursday and due the following Thursday. In addition each
seminar participant has the following weekly responsibilities:

a) read the Amherst Bulletin noting issues relevant to the
course

b) weekly readings as assigned

c) make weekly, if not daily, entries in your personal
journals. You will use your journal in a different way than you have
in previous anthropology courses. Later in the term this journal will
become your field journal in which you will record all of the data
necessary to do your project. In order to do this project you must
develop a basic understanding of the town of Amherst. In the early
weeks you will use the journal to record observations and impressions
about the town and about the key issues affecting it. You can think
of it as a conceptual sketch book for your major study. Your entries
can take any form you want, but I expect your journal to show a
continuous engagement with the course subject matter. I will ask to
see your journals several times during the semester so please keep
them up to date and bring them with you to each class.

LATE HOMEWORK POLICY: If you must miss class for any reason, it is
your responsibility to make sure that your homework still arrives on
time. Just as professional researchers working on a research contract
are expected to deliver reports on time - regardless of their other
responsibilities - so too are you expected to fulfill the
responsibilities of the seminar in a timely manner. Since most of the
assignments contribute to our composite picture of Amherst, a late
assignment, which arrives after our discussion, does little to help
our research group. MAKE SURE YOUR HOMEWORK GETS TO CLASS ON TIME!
LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNGRADED.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

NOTE: all assigned readings for the weeks below are to be
completed by our Tuesday meeting unless otherwise noted.

Week 1

Jan 28 Introduction - Review of available projects for
Spring 1997.

Jan 30 What is a community? Issues in the construction
of community.

Read: Keene (1995) plus handouts

Week 2 Feb 4 Where is the Amherst community and what makes
it so special?

READ: Blais - ALL

[FW] Chapter 3

Feb 6 Discussion and selection of research topics/service
project

Week 3

Feb 11-13 Doing ethnography. Thinking about methods and
community studies.

Entering the Field and the Ethnographic Interview.

Read: [FW] Chapter 1 and 5

Week 4 Feb 25-27 Ethics of Field Work

Group Discussion of Research Design

Making Contacts

Read [FW] Chapter 2

Week 5 Mar 4-6 EVERYONE SHOULD BE IN THE FIELD BY THIS DATE

Field Notes - review Chapter 2

Week 6 Mar 11 Participant Observation and Problem solving

BEGINNING WITH WEEK 6 (MAR 11) WE WILL MEET FORMALLY ONLY ONCE
/WEEK (ON TUESDAYS) TO REPORT ON OUR PROGRESS, TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT
MAY COME UP AND TO BE GENERALLY HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE TO EACH OTHER.
TEAMS WILL BE REQUIRED TO FILE WRITTEN BI-WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORTS
WITH PROFESSOR KEENE. KEENE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATIONS IN
HIS OFFICE ON THURSDAYS DURING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CLASS TIME AS
WELL AS DURING OFFICE HOURS. EACH GROUP SHOULD MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO
HAVE KEENE VISIT THEM AT THEIR FIELD SITE AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE
PROJECT. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH GROUP TO ARRANGE THIS SITE
VISIT.